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Sweet on chocolate? There鈥檚 a shop in听Denver鈥檚 Five Points neighborhood you听might want to check out 鈥� a bikeshop.听Gregory Crichlow听(Arch鈥�95) has听transformed a former drug den into a听boutique bike shop that also sells artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate.听

The story dates to 2009, when the听Great Recession brought the American听economy to its knees, dramatically slowing work for Crichlow, then employed as听an architect.听

鈥淚 had to make a decision to use a听different skill set,鈥� he said.听

By 2011, the wheels were in motion to听turn a 400-square-foot Downing Street听space with no roof into a place where听locals could come for bike repairs and听frame fabrication, and also chocolate.听

He鈥檇 often noticed the building while听biking to his architecture job nearby. It听became Chocolate Spokes, the subject of听a recent short film of that name.听

Opening the business wasn鈥檛 the first听major gear shift for Crichlow, the rare听cycleshop owner who wears a dress shirt听and bow tie on the job.听

After finishing high school in Aurora,听where he played ice hockey, he鈥檇 lived听with his grandmother in New York听for a year. There an interest in architecture gathered momentum. Dually听inspired by the city鈥檚 aesthetics and by听Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden, a听multi-gold-medalist who reinvented听himself as a pro cyclist, Crichlow came听back to Colorado to study architecture听at CU and joined the cycling team.听

鈥淢y first ride was a real eye-opener,鈥澨齢e said. 鈥淚 was dropped by the group and听left somewhere near Lyons 鈥� I realized听there was a lot more to the sport than听just getting on a bike and going.鈥澨�

He eventually left competitive cycling听to focus on architecture and attend graduate school at the University of Illinois.听But Crichlow has remained committed听to life on two wheels: He doesn鈥檛 own a听car and cycles everywhere, as do his two听children, ages 13 and 9.听

And, of course, he owns a bike shop听that doubles as a neighborhood gathering place.听

鈥淢y hope is that we鈥檙e creating a听space where everyone feels welcome and听respected as our immediate neighborhood context evolves,鈥� he said.听

The bow tie is a nod to Crichlow鈥檚听grandfather, who wore them also, and to听his own attitude toward work.听

鈥淚 listen to clients and make their听wants and needs come to a tangible听reality,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y appearance is a听refection of how seriously I take this.鈥澨�

Crichlow decided to sell chocolate听bars alongside handlebars partly because听of his own fondness for them, and because he believes fine chocolate reflects听the studio鈥檚 attention to craftsmanship.听

鈥淧eople come in just to buy chocolate听鈥� nothing to do with bikes,鈥� he said.听

Now, that鈥檚 sweet.

听

Photo courtesy Gregory Crichlow